Monday Morning Match is a simple post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
“Nothing is over until we decide it is!”
It’s one of the iconic lines from actor John Belushi in National Lampoon’s Animal House. Belushi’s character, John “Bluto” Blutarski, was giving an inspiring speech to his fellow Delta Tau Chi fraternity brothers trying to get them to fight back with the school administration for closing down their house and kicking them out of school at Faber College.
I’ve had a few transactions lately where things didn’t look good. Inspections, bank delays, delayed responses from some service providers, and timing challenges have caused some anxiety and stress but luckily, when you aren’t content to let the deal fall apart, you’ve got to find ways to work it out. Sadly, life isn’t like Animal House. Having a Toga Party might be fun but it’s not going to help make things right.
You need to keep the conversation going.
How do you react when you’ve been knocked down? What is your thought process when things don’t go your way? When the other side says, “that’s our final offer” and it’s still not going to work for your clients, what happens next?
Keep the conversation going.
Asking questions helps. Thinking differently helps. Trying to see things from the other side’s point of view helps. There’s nothing wrong with saying “what if?” or “let’s pretend…” Sometimes if you can simply keep the conversation going, an answer, a remedy, or a solution will reveal itself.
Trying to build relationships? Keep the conversation going by asking the classic F.O.R.D questions about people’s Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams. Involve or ask about the kids or grandchildren. Pets? Favorite sports teams? Upcoming or recent vacations? The more questions you ask, the more listening you’ll do and before you know it, areas of common interest will appear.
“All problems exist in the absence of a good conversation”
Thomas Leonard
Seeking to solve problems? Be like the detective and ask more questions. Use the 5 W’s and 1 H – Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Open-ended questions that begin with “Tell me about…” or “In your experience…” The salesperson that can identify a customer’s urgency and motivation will be that much closer to finding a solution.
Want to have fun? Tell better stories. Create engagement on your social media feeds by asking questions that will make your followers and friends laugh. Send some funny memes or GIFs to some of your sphere of infleunce…inviting them to respond. Reach out to an old friend, colleague or client and arrange to connect on a phone call or in person. Who knows what might happen next?
Have a great week ahead and whatever you do…please keep the conversation going.
